PC postage™ service indicia design for shipping label

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods of insuring payment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for an amount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail, wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a format readable only by machine, and adjusting the postage amount at a time subsequent to receipt of payment.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a division of application ser. No. 10/628,411, filed Jul. 29,2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,108,322 and claims the benefit of ProvisionalApplication No. 60/399,251, filed Jul. 29, 2002, the contents of whichare herby incorporated by reference. This application is related to anapplication entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MID-STREAM POSTAGEADJUSTMENT,”Application Ser. No. 10/630,589, filed Jul. 29, 2003, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofProvisional Application No. 60/399,251, filed Jul. 29, 2002, thecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. This applicationis related to an application entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORMID-STREAM POSTAGE ADJUSTMENT,” bearing attorney docket number08049.0923, filed on the same date as the present application, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of preventing fraud, misuse,abuse and reuse of postage by utilizing a uniquely designed postageindicia for a shipping label.

BACKGROUND

The United States Postal Service (“USPS”), unlike private shippingcompanies, is required by law to receive payment for postage in advanceof mailing of the piece of mail. For this reason, the USPS must closelymonitor the payment of postage and the corresponding use of the postagelabels, such as stamps. In the past, the postage must be accuratelycomputed prior to producing a postage label or stamp, and affixing itthe mailpiece. Often, this meant purchasing the postage label at a U.S.Post Office, or maintaining a strictly monitored postage meter, capableof dispensing the appropriate postage.

With the development of Internet technology, the U.S. Postal Service(USPS) has introduced many new products for the convenience of postalcustomers. One such product is known as PC Postage™ whereby one canpurchase postage over the internet using a computer. One can also use itfor most of one's mailing needs: First-Class Mail service, Express Mail®service, Priority Mail service, parcels, International Mail, and paymentfor special services like Delivery Confirmation™ etc. In this processthe postal customer goes online to the USPS web page and makes an onlineshipping label transaction. The customer enters the type of mailing,recipient's address, sender's address and the requisite payment, whichis conducted as a credit card transaction or may be a charge against thecustomer's deposit account with the USPS. A label is printed with thisinformation and affixed to the mailing.

However, when using these or other methodologies, if the postage amountwas improperly computed prior to purchase, the USPS must return the mailto the sender for improper postage. In addition, unless the postage waspaid for at a US Post Office, and affixed by a USPS employee, the riskarose that a postage label may be duplicated and used more than once,providing shippers with unauthorized use of the mail system.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a unique labeland postage indicia design to prevent this type of fraud. It is also anobject of this invention to keep track of all mailing transactions andto reconcile the accounts and collect statistical data on the mailings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, systems and methods of insuringpayment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for anamount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail,wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a formatreadable only by machine, and adjusting the postage amount at a timesubsequent to receipt of payment.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained bymeans of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description are exemplary andexplanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart describing the process used by a sender to obtainpostage, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a stealth postage indicia;

FIG. 3 shows a postage indicia design with postage shown; and

FIG. 4 shows a complete mailing label, including postage indicia designusing uncoded postage;

FIG. 5 shows an alternative form of the mailing label including codedpostage;

FIG. 6 shows a another alternative form of the mailing label includingcoded postage;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process used by a shipper system toverify the postage paid on a postage label; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process used by a shipper system toverify the postage indicia on a piece of mail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing method 100 performed by a sender (user) topay a shipper for and receive postage for a mailpiece. While it ispreferable that the mailing company (shipper system) is the USPS, thismethod may similarly be utilized to pay for the transport of a packageby any public or private mail or shipping company.

While method 100 may be carried out by an individual at a sendingcompany's facility, such sender would likely have knowledgeable staffand equipment that would accurately determine the postage amount andprevent postage fraud, rendering the present system less necessary. Itis therefore preferable that method 100 be implemented on an electricaldevice, such as a personal computer, capable of performing the describedsteps. The instructions for carrying out method 100 may be implementedas a software package installed on a personal computer capable ofconnecting to and transmitting information to, or receiving informationfrom, the USPS. Alternatively, one or more steps of method 100 may beimplemented by hardware, such as by a processor containing instructionsfor carrying out the method.

Alternatively, method 100 may be implemented as a website. For example,the USPS has developed a transactional web site that allows customers toprint shipping labels online for domestic Express Mail (EM) and PriorityMail (PM), and Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) and Global Express Mail(GEM). For ease of discussion, the present description discussion willdescribe method 100 implemented using a website.

Method 100 begins when a person desiring to send a piece of mail(“sender”) accesses the shipper's web site (block 102) (i.e. the USPSweb site). In block 104, the postage amount necessary for delivery ofthe package or mailpiece is then estimated. In one implementation, thewebsite will contain a form for the purpose of receiving sufficientinformation about the mailpiece for the system to calculate the postage.For example, the web page may contain “radio buttons” or input fieldsfor the sender to input the weight, shipping class, destinationinformation, sender information, or other information necessary for aninitial determination of the postage amount. It is important torecognize that the information inputted by the sender, and the estimatedamount of postage not be 100% accurate, for reasons described below.Instead, the sender may make his or her best guess as to the weight ofthe parcel (or other information). For the same reason, no specializedhardware is necessary at the sender's location, since accuracy at thispoint in the process is not a necessity. In another embodiment, thewebpage may simply present a list of possible postal rates and allow thesender to select the most appropriate (though not necessarily correct)postal rate.

Once the amount has been estimated, the sender then pays the estimatedamount to the shipper (block 106). The sender may accomplish payment ofthe postage by credit card payment or application of funds from adeposit account with the shipper.

U.S. laws and regulations require mail handled by the USPS to provideevidence of prepaid postage on each package. Therefore, once the senderhas accomplished payment of the postage, the system then produces apostage indicia (block 108), which the sender may affix to themailpiece.

In one embodiment, the software or website will produce the postageindicia by producing a machine-readable representation of informationassociated with the mailpiece (“postage information”). For example, thesoftware will combine the postage paid, the rate category, a deviceidentification (identifying the device that printed the postageindicia), the licensing code, the sending zip code (or address), thedestination zip code (or address), the software identification, theascending and descending registers, the digital signature algorithm, thedate of mailing, and the delivery confirmation code (a unique numberassigned to the mailpiece for identification purposes). One of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that one or more pieces of informationmay be excluded in some circumstances (for example, the ascending anddescending registers may be unnecessary in a case where the sender isnot using a prepaid postage meter to print the postage indicia). Inaddition, a unique postage number may be assigned and included as anidentification of the postage, for use in preventing duplication of thepostage. This information may then be digitally signed using any nowknown or later developed digital signature algorithm, and the signaturemay be included as part of the postage information.

For example, a Shipping Shares Services (SSS) Application softwareapplication, sends label with postage indicia information to a browserfor printing. The label includes a unique delivery confirmation numberembedded within a barcode, the sender and recipient's addressinformation, the class of mail, the special service, and the postageindicia. The postage indicia contains the mailing date, the postageamount or indication of postage payment, the ZIP Code™ mailed from, anidentifying licensing number, and the corresponding deliveryconfirmation number at the top of the indicia.

Once the postage indicia has been produced, it may be printed on themailpiece (or on a label for affixing to the mailpiece). While the labelmay be printed using specialized equipment such as a prepaid postagemeter, or a secure printer with means for preventing duplication (suchas a printer that uses proprietary ink to prevent unauthorizedduplication), it may also be printed using any unsecured printer orother printing device associated with the sender's (or shipper's)computer. However, as further discussed below, when printing on anunsecured printer, the unique postage number assigned to the postageindicia becomes necessary to prevent unauthorized duplication of thepostage indicia.

In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the printed postage indicia willtake the form of a “stealth postage” indicia 200, that is, the postageindicia will include the postage information represented only in machinereadable format such as a two dimensional bar code 202 (the bar code mayalternatively be implemented as a one-dimensional bar code—not shown).In this embodiment, the postage amount will not be printed on thepostage indicia in a human readable form, but may instead include anotation 204 that the postage has been paid. In addition, informationcontained in the stealth indicia 200 may include the date of mailing206, a unique delivery confirmation number 208 (to identify themailpiece), and a unique postage number 210 (to prevent the postageindicia from being separated from the mailpiece), and possibly otheridentifying information. FIG. 3 shows an alternative version of thepostage indicia 300, in which the postage amount 302 is printed on theindicia in a human readable format.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the postage indicia may alternatively beprinted as part of mailing label 400 including postage indicia 300 (orstealth indicia, not shown), a destination address 402, a return address404, and another representation of the unique article number 406 (shownin both human readable and machine readable, i.e. barcode, forms).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show alternative mailing labels for use with the presentinvention. The mailing label may also include other proprietaryinformation required for proper processing by a shipper system. Forexample, a label printed for use by the USPS may include a FIM code (notshown, used for orientation of the mailpiece by USPS equipment) and aPOSTNET code (502, FIG. 5).

Returning to FIG. 1, once the postage indicia has been produced, thesender affixes it to the mailpiece (block 110) and mails the mailpiece(block 112), such as by delivery to a US Post Office or other facilityof the shipper.

Upon delivery of the mailpiece into the mail stream, the mailing systemmay also employ process 700, FIG. 7 to verify that the correct amount ofpostage has been paid, and/or process 800, FIG. 8, to verify that thepostage indicia has not been improperly duplicated. These processes maybe performed in addition to its standard operating procedures forrouting, administering, and delivering mailpieces.

Referring to FIG. 7, process 700 is performed by the shipper to insurethat the proper amount of postage has been paid. Because of theregulations governing the USPS requiring prepayment of postage, it ispreferable that process 700 be performed prior to routing and deliveryof the mailpiece. However, for private shipping companies the processmay alternatively be carried out at any time. Process 700 begins byscanning the mailing label to read the postage amount previously paid bythe sender (block 702). The shipping company then calculates the actualamount of postage due for delivery of the mailpiece (block 704). Theshipper may calculate this using any known means, including weighing thepackage, determining the rate category and zone, and consulting theshipper's rate schedule. The shipper then compares the amount paid withthe actual amount to verify (decision 706) that the appropriate amounthas been paid. If so, the shipper processes the mail according to itsstandard procedures (block 708). If not, the shipper proceeds to bill(or refund) the sender for the difference (the adjusted postage value)(block 710).

In one embodiment, the billing (or refunding) of the adjusted postagevalue may be charged to a credit card (such as the one used to pay theinitial postage amount) or deducted from a deposit account. To accountfor the adjusted amount and appropriately track who to bill, the shippersystem may maintain a database which it updates with each new purchaseof postage by storing the billing information together with the uniquedelivery confirmation number and/or the unique postage number. In thisway, the unique identification of the mailpiece is permanentlyassociated with the sender's billing information. Alternatively, thebilling information may be encrypted and embedded in the two-dimensionalbar code on the postage indicia together with the parcel information.Once the sender has been appropriately billed, the parcel may then bedelivered (block 708), in compliance with regulations governing theUSPS.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart describing the process performed by the shippersystem to prevent postage fraud. The process begins at the point ofpurchase of the postage online. As the sender purchases the postage, theshipper updates a postage database by storing at least the uniquepostage number and the unique delivery confirmation number (block 802).Once the delivery confirmation number barcode and postage number arescanned (block 804), the shipper can then verify (decision 806), againstits database, that the postage label is being used with the mailpiecefor which it was intended. If a match is not determined, then the use ofthe postage label on the present mailpiece is unauthorized, and themailpiece is not delivered (block 808). If, however, at decision 806, amatch is found, then the postage label is being used for the parcel forwhich it was produced, and the mail may be delivered (block 810).

In an alternative embodiment, the block 802 may not be performed.Instead, as each new parcel is entered into the mail system, the postagelabel may be scanned and the information encoded therein may be enteredinto a new record in the database. Similarly, as each new parcel isscanned the unique parcel number and postage number may be comparedagainst all other parcel numbers and postage numbers already in thedatabase to prevent unauthorized duplication of the postage indicia. Oneof ordinary skill in the art will recognize that it is preferable toperform this scan and check as late in the delivery process as possibleto prevent bypass of the system. For this purpose, the shipper systemmay employ portable scanners, capable of communication with the shippersystem database, to scan the items as they are delivered to their finaldestination.

By these methods, the inclusion of the unique article number in theindicia design prevents the main portion of the label from beingseparated from the postage indicia. The unique article number designalso prevents a person from reusing, copying or tampering with a label.The indication that postage was paid online (stealth postage) in placeof the postage actually paid for the mailpiece allows for adjustments ofpostage as necessary and provides shippers with the ability to notdisclose the postage amount to customers.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method of adjusting anamount of prepaid postage on a mailpiece, wherein the mailpiececomprises a postage indicia including an indication of an initialpostage amount, comprising: receiving a payment for the initial postageamount; receiving the mailpiece, wherein the postage indicia includesthe initial postage amount, billing information of a sender, a uniquepostage number in a machine readable format for uniquely identifying thepostage indicia, and a unique delivery confirmation number foridentifying the mailpiece; verifying, by a computer, that the initialpostage amount is the proper amount; updating, by the computer, adatabase to associate the billing information with the unique postagenumber; determining, by the computer, the billing information accordingto the association between the billing information and the uniquepostage number stored in the database; using, by the computer, thebilling information to bill a party for an adjusted postage amount upondetermining that the initial postage amount is not verified; andaltering the postage indicia to reflect the adjusted postage amount,once the party has been billed for the adjusted amount,
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the payment for initial postage amount is received viathe Internet.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the postage indicia iscoded on a mailing label, and the initial postage amount is representedin a bar code presented on the mailing label.
 4. The method of claim 3,wherein the mailing label further includes at least one of a FIM code, aPOSTNET code, and another representation of the unique deliveryconfirmation number.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the postageindicia further includes a notation that the initial postage amount hasbeen paid.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating thedatabase with a new purchase of postage.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising encrypting the billing information in the postageindicia.
 8. The method of claim 3, further comprising comparing theunique postage number with other postage numbers within the database todetect unauthorized, duplication of the mailing label.
 9. Anon-transitory computer readable medium including program instructionsstored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computerto perform a method for adjusting an amount of prepaid postage on amailpiece, the method comprising: receiving a payment for an initialpostage amount; receiving a mailpiece including a postage indicia,wherein the postage indicia includes the initial postage amount, billinginformation of a sender, and a unique postage number in a machinereadable format for uniquely identifying the postage indicia, and aunique delivery confirmation number for identifying the mailpiece;verifying that the initial postage amount is the proper amount; updatinga database to associate the billing information with the unique postagenumber; determining, by the computer, the billing information accordingto the association between the billing information and the uniquepostage number stored in the database; billing a party for an adjustedpostage amount, if the initial postage amount is determined to beimproper; and altering the postage indicia to reflect the adjustedpostage amount, once the party has been billed for the adjusted amount.10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein thepayment for initial postage amount is received via the Internet.